Cruel cuts leave 80 Galway special needs children in limbo

School leavers with disabilities have been left in limbo due to cuts to health services nationwide.

At least 77 school leavers in Galway are waiting to be accommodated in either in day centres or training courses and the Brothers of Charity are in discussions with 13 families who they cannot accommodate due to lack of funding.

The announcement by the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, Kathleen Lynch, last week has shocked families who had no inkling health cuts were going to affect them so drastically.

Hope 4 Disability, the Galway-based disability group, has hit out at what they have called a “cruel and callous” decision.

A 1.2% deduction in the disability budget was negotiated with and approved by the Government on the basis that there would be no overall reduction of disability services but Minister Lynch, in a letter to Galway parents, has admitted that some users will be left without places on any training scheme.

Eamon Walsh, Chairman of Hope 4 Disability said that “such a situation is unthinkable for families”.

“The reality for the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and their families is shocking. The burden of support will be so great that families and service providers will not be able to cope; to even contemplate the curtailment of the most basic of supports for most families, it is unbelieveable and borders on the immoral and to leave it to almost the middle of August to make this statement is unforgiveable.”

This year, over 80 children with intellectual disabilities will graduate from school services and are then reliant on funding and support from the HSE.

Hope 4 Disability is calling on the Minister and all public representatives to address the situation.

Meanwhile, the Brothers of Charity, who have a deficit of €9 million because of budget cuts over the past five years, are trying to find resources to accommodate 13 school leavers with intellectual disabilities, in further training courses or for the more severly disabled school leavers, in day care.

The Brothers estimate it would need €419,000 to provide this service, which would give the users day care five day a week.

Deputy Colm Keaveney said that unlike bus drivers, these parents cannot go on strike as it was a full-time commitment and should be given every consideration and support by the State.

“The Government is cynically trading on the fact that families cannot leave their disabled children uncared for while they protest in Dublin. As with mental health services, another area of our health services struggling in this crisis, the Government believes that residual stigma surrounding both will lessen the capacity of such groups to resist cuts.

“This Government has continuously failed to appreciate that disability services are not a charity to be cut back when times are tough. They are in fact a human rights issue. A change in mindset in this regard is urgently needed,” he said.

He said it was incumbent on elected representatives to take a stand to secure a life of dignity for their children. He also said the HSE had failed to support these families.